WESTON — They come here to ride, lured by the open road and 51-mile stretch of bike lane snaking through lush green terrain.

For years, Weston has been a bicycling mecca for competitive and recreational riders.

But there is trouble in paradise.

Broward sheriff's deputies are issuing warnings and tickets to cyclists who stray outside the bike lane, primarily in response to complaints from motorists.

Some cyclists are traveling in packs of 30 or more and taking up an entire lane of traffic, said Chief Kevin Butler, who heads the Broward Sheriff's Office Weston district.

State law allows two cyclists to ride side-by-side in the bike lane, but requires them to ride single file if they are blocking traffic.

Since Feb. 1, three cyclists have gotten tickets from Broward Sheriff's deputies for riding outside the bike lane. Many more have received warnings — sending fear and fury through a disgruntled cycling community.

They wonder whether the crackdown will ruin their rides through Weston, where they are far from the congestion of State Road A1A, another popular but dangerous cycling route.

Weston is not exactly ground zero for the region's bike lane wars. The sometimes lethal conflict between motorist and cyclist is being played out along other scenic stretches, including A1A in Broward and Palm Beach counties and the Rickenbacker Causeway in Miami.

But in Weston, some are bristling at what they call harassment by the cops.

"They are just looking to give us a hard time," said Molli Serrano, a Plantation triathlete who rides about 50 miles a day with the Weston Flyers cycling club.

Serrano, 38, was riding through Weston on a Tuesday morning in March when her group came up on two slower riders. To pass, they veered outside the bike lane. Soon after, Serrano said a deputy cut off the entire group of 30 cyclists, pointed to her and told everyone else to take off while he wrote her a ticket.

When Serrano asked why he chose her, she said the deputy told her it was because she stood out in her purple outfit. Serrano was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last June and wears purple to bring awareness to the disease.

"The deputy told me they are under a lot of pressure to start ticketing us because the residents are complaining," Serrano said. "What's going on is Weston residents are sick of us riding there."

But according to Butler, Weston officials simply want both cyclists and drivers to obey the rules of the road to make it safer for everyone.

"Some of you feel like we're targeting you — and that's not the case," Butler told more than 70 cyclists Thursday at a meeting of the newly formed Weston Bike Alliance. City officials formed the group in April to tackle issues affecting bike safety in Weston.

During the meeting, some complained about having to yield to runners, skateboarders and even mothers with baby carriages who hog the bike lane.

"I don't know if they know the rights of cyclists," said Gerber, who rides with the Weston Flyers. "Maybe they need to be educated as well to calm this heat. It's really caustic out there."

Every year, about 900 Americans die while riding their bikes and 500,000 are injured, experts say.

Like many cyclists, Serrano rides in a group because "it's safer than riding alone."

And while she concedes that some riders run red lights and stop signs and pick fights with motorists, the people in the cars aren't perfect either.

Even in Weston, they frequently cross into the bike lane, sometimes while texting or talking on their cellphones, Serrano said.

"Cyclists are not idiots," said Celia Conti, a Plantation resident who rides in Weston about four times a week. "We try to ride where the least amount of traffic is. We're not driving down University Drive at noon, taking up space."

The way she sees it, aggressive cyclists are messing things up for everyone else.

"They have this concept that I'm on the road and get out of my way," she said. "And right now, that's affecting how I can ride."

Butler said the complaints started coming in a year ago about cyclists taking up entire lanes, especially on South Post Road. "We tried to reach out to various riding groups and educate everyone — move to the right," Butler said. "One group continued to ride five or six abreast even after we warned them."

But at last week's Weston Bike Alliance gathering, cyclists complained to Butler about road-raging motorists who honk, yell and buzz them — even when they're riding in the bike lane.

Butler advised jotting down the car's tag number and reporting the incident to police.

"Call us if someone is purposely trying to run you off the road," he said.

Butler also urged cyclists who think they were unfairly cited to fight the $60 ticket.